Nobel Prize in Chemistry Awarded for Developing a Molecular Engineering Tool

The 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Benjamin List and David McMillan. This is reported in press release Nobel Committee.

The committee representatives explained that the research of the laureates had a great impact on pharmaceutical research and “made chemistry more environmentally friendly”.

“Making molecules is a complex art. Benjamin List and David McMillan are awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing a new precision instrument for molecular design: organocatalysis. ” stated representatives of the committee.

The development of chemists will allow the design of molecules that can form elastic and durable materials, store energy in batteries or prevent the progression of diseases. This requires catalysts that control and accelerate chemical reactions, but do not change the reaction itself.

“Catalysts are thus a fundamental tool for chemists, but researchers have long believed that only two types of catalysts are available: metals and enzymes,” the Nobel committee explained.

Benjamin List and David McMillan were awarded the Nobel Prize for independently developing a way to obtain a third type of catalyst. It was called asymmetric organocatalysis.